Hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids, typically include a signal processor in communication with a microphone and receiver. Such designs are adapted to perform a great deal of processing on sounds received by the microphone. More and more hearing assistance devices include a wireless communication option which provides a way to communicate with a hearing assistance device using another device. Such devices may have their own wireless protocols for communications or may use an industry standard protocol.
However, to be portable and power efficient wireless hearing assistance device designs must conserve the amount of time a device can transmit and receive data. In radio frequency environments with multiple signal sources a great deal of power can be wasted if the signals of interest are difficult to detect. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for apparatus and methods to provide improved wireless communications for wireless hearing assistance devices.